Background and career
Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. Harrison played college football for the Syracuse Orange and was selected by the Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft. He is considered one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history. An eight-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro member, Harrison held the record for most receptions in a single season (143) until it was broken by Michael Thomas (149) in 2019. Harrison was also a member of the team that won Super Bowl XLI. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2026.
Harrison was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended and played high school football at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia.
Harrison attended Syracuse University; he was a three-year starter for the football team, playing with quarterback Donovan McNabb in his final year. He was named as a captain for the 1995 season. In a game against West Virginia in the 1995 season, he had a 96-yard touchdown reception from Donovan McNabb. He was the Big East Special Teams Player of the Year in 1995. In the 1996 Gator Bowl, he had seven catches for 173 yards in a 41–0 win over Clemson. Harrison's 1,131 yards were a school record for a single season until Amba Etta-Tawo broke it in 2016. Harrison set a school record with 2,718 career receiving yards, which stood until 2017 when it was broken by Steve Ishmael in the final game of his career. Harrison also returned 42 punts for 542 yards and two touchdowns and ranked second to Rob Moore in school history with 20 receiving touchdowns. He was named All-Big East in 1993, 1994, and 1995. Harrison graduated with a degree in retail management. On January 14, 2026, Harrison was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Harrison was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round as the 19th selection in the 1996 NFL draft, a selection which was obtained in a trade that sent Jeff George to the Atlanta Falcons. Harrison went on to become one of the most productive receivers from that draft class, which included Keyshawn Johnson, Eric Moulds, Bobby Engram, Muhsin Muhammad, Eddie Kennison, Terry Glenn, Amani Toomer, Joe Horn, and Terrell Owens among others.
Harrison made his NFL debut in Week 1 of the 1996 NFL season against the Arizona Cardinals with six receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown reception from quarterback Jim Harbaugh in the 20–13 victory. In Week 2 against the Jets, he had five punt returns for 102 yards and earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the 21–7 win. In Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles, he had six receptions for 106 yards and touchdown in the 37–10 victory. In the following game, a 24–19 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, he had six receptions for 103 yards and three touchdowns. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Chiefs. He finished his rookie season with 64 receptions for 836 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns in 16 games and 15 starts as the Colts went 9–7. Among rookie wide receivers, he finished fourth in receiving yards, third in receptions, and tied for second in receiving touchdowns. In his playoff debut, Harrison had three receptions for 71 yards in a 42–14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round.
From Week 11 to Week 13, Harrison had a three-game streak of scoring a receiving touchdown. In the 1997 season, Harrison recorded 73 receptions for 866 yards and six touchdowns as the Colts went 3–13.
